Vol. 11 No. 1 January 2015 — Policy research to shape the international development agenda 7th South Asia Economic Summit Hon’ble Vice-President of India Mr. M. Hamid Ansari delivering the Inaugural Address. Also seen in the picture (from left to right): Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS; Ambassador Shyam Saran, Chairman, RIS; Prof. Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh and Prof. Prabir De, RIS. RIS, jointly with the Ministry Policy Studies (SACEPS), Nepal; Address and Prof. Prabir De, RIS of External Affairs, Government Sustainable Development Policy extended the Vote of Thanks. The th of India, organised the 7 South Institute (SDPI), Pakistan and three-day Summit saw book releases, Asia Economic Summit (SAES) in Institute of Policy Studies of Sri presentations and panel discussions New Delhi on 5-7 November 2014. Lanka (IPS), Colombo. Confederation by renowned academicians The SAARC Division and Public of Indian Industry (CII), The and policymakers from the South Diplomacy Division of the MEA World Bank and United Nations Asia region. had also collaborated with RIS. The Economic and Social Commission for event was graced by the presence Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) The panel for Plenary Session I of Hon’ble Vice-President of India were partners in the Summit. on “South Asia Regional Integration: Mr. M. Hamid Ansari, who inaugurated Past, Present and Future” included the Summit. The theme of the Hon’ble Vice-President of India Hon’ble Mohammad Mustafa Summit was “Towards South Asia Mr. M. Hamid Ansari delivered the Mastoor, Deputy Minister for Finance, Economic Union”. Inaugural Address. Prof. Sachin Afghanistan; Hon’ble Gowher Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS Rizvi, Adviser for International The co-organisers of the SAES delivered the Welcome Address; Affairs to the Prime Minister of included the Centre for Policy Ambassador Shyam Saran, Chairman, Bangladesh; Hon’ble Lyonpo Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh; South RIS delivered the Opening Address; Namgay Dorji, Finance Minister, Asia Watch on Trade, Economics Prof. Rehman Sobhan, Chairman, Bhutan; Hon’ble Ram Sharan Mahat, and Environment (SAWTEE), Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Finance Minister, Nepal; and Hon’ble Nepal; South Asia Centre for Bangladesh delivered the Special continued on page 12... RIS Diary January 2015 1 Policy Dialogues Colloquium on India’s Growing Dependence on Imports in the area of Bulk Drugs With the announcement of ‘Make in India Campaign’ by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, RIS has launched a Series on ‘Make in India and External Sector: Production, Employment and Exports’. Under this series, RIS organised the first Colloquium on India’s Growing Dependence on Imports in the area of Bulk Drugs in New Delhi on 23 December 2014. Hon’ble Mr. Ananth Kumar, Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Government of India delivered the Valedictory Address. Mr. Ananth Kumar, Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Government of India delivering the Valedictory Dr. V.K. Subburaj, Secretary, Address. Also seen in the picture (from left to right): Dr. Ashwani Gupta, Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi and Mr. T.C. James. Department of Pharmaceuticals, continued on page 10.... Seminar on Issues before Brisbane G-20 Summit Prof. Ajit Singh at RIS RIS organised a Seminar Dr. Suresh Prabhu, Government of India’s Sherpa to the G-20 Summit delivering the Keynote Address. Also seen in the picture are Ms. Sujata Mehta, Secretary (ER and DPA), Ministry of External Affairs, on Climate Change and Government of India and Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS. the Premises for a New Society in New Delhi RIS organised a seminar on Issues Chaturvedi, Director General, on 15 November 2014. before Brisbane G-20 Summit in New RIS; Prof. S.K. Mohanty, RIS; Prof. Prof. Ajit Singh, Emeritus Delhi on 30 October 2014. Dr. Suresh Manmohan Agarwal, Consultant, Professor of Economics at Prabhu, Government of India’s Sherpa RIS; and Dr. Leena Srivastava, Vice- Cambridge University, UK to the G-20 Summit, delivered the Chancellor, TERI University. Prof. was the lead speaker. Prof. Keynote Address. Ms. Sujata Mehta, Ram Upendra Das, RIS chaired the S.K. Mohanty, RIS chaired Secretary (ER and DPA), Ministry second session on Fiscal Action for the seminar. Prof. Sachin of External Affairs, Government Global Growth and Infrastructure Chaturvedi, Director General, of India chaired the seminar. Prof. Financing. The panelists in this RIS delivered the Welcome Muchkund Dubey, President, Council session included Prof. Rathin Roy, Address. Ms. Lydia Powell, for Social Development (CSD) chaired Director and Chief Executive, Head, Centre for Resources the first session on Global Trading National Institute of Public Finance Management, Observer and Financial System, Energy and and Policy (NIPFP); and Dr. R. Kavita Research Foundation was the Development Issues. The panelists Rao, Professor, NIPFP. The sessions discussant. in this session included Prof. Sachin were followed by open discussions. 2 RIS Diary January 2015 Policy Dialogues Prof. V.R. Panchamukhi’s Lecture on South-South Cooperation (SSC) RIS launched the Forum for Indian Development Cooperation (FIDC) in 2013 for facilitating discussion and informed debate on various facets of Indian development cooperation policy as in the recent past. Under FIDC monthly seminar series, a Seminar on South-South Cooperation: Reflections from the Past was organised in New Delhi on 17 October 2014. Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS made the Welcome Remarks. Mr. Dominik Bartsch, Chief of Mission, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, New Delhi chaired the Prof. V.R. Panchamukhi delivering the lecture. Also seen in the picture (from left to right): Mr. Dominik seminar. Prof. V.R. Panchamukhi, Bartsch, Chief of Mission, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, New Delhi; Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS; and Prof. Ashok Parthasarathi, former S&T Advisor to PM Indira former Director General, RIS Gandhi. delivered the lecture. Dr. Milindo Chakrabarti, Director, International Studies, Sharda University was the Assistant, RIS extended the Vote of Academic Facilitation and Professor, discussant. Mr. Pratyush, Research Thanks. (See full report on page 9.) School of Law and School of Business Release of the South Asia Development and Cooperation Report 2014 The South Asia Development and Cooperation Report 2014 was launched by RIS in collaboration with South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) in Kathmandu, Nepal on the eve of the 18th SAARC Summit. The Report focuses on the measures towards enhanced economic activities and employment generation through economic integration. This, in turn, can be peace-creating. The approach is novel in the sense that it argues against waiting for peace to descend before regional cooperation initiatives are undertaken. Instead, the Report emphasises on ‘reverse causality’ from ‘prosperity to peace’ rather than only from ‘peace to Prof. Ram Upendra Das, RIS releasing the South Asia Development and Cooperation Report 2014 with Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, Chairman, SAWTEE. prosperity’. RIS Diary January 2015 3 Policy Dialogues ASEAN-India Seminar on Joining Global Production Networks: India’s Opportunities Panel Discussion and ASEAN-India Cooperation on ASEAN-led Integration Process, RCEP, TPP and Possibility for an FTAAP RIS organised a Panel Discussion on ASEAN-led Integration Process, RCEP, TPP and Possibility for an FTAAP in New Delhi on 21 October 2014. The speakers were: Dr. Sanchita Basu Das, Fellow and Lead Prof. Prema-chandra Athukorala, ANU, Canberra, making presentation. Also seen in the picture (from left to right): Prof. S.K. Mohanty, RIS; Ambassador V. S. Seshadri, Vice Chairman, RIS; and Prof. Prabir De, RIS. Researcher, Economic Affairs, Institute of Southeast Asian Under the ASEAN-India Seminar Welcome Remarks by Prof. Prabir De, Studies (ISEAS), Singapore and Series, ASEAN-India Centre at RIS, Coordinator, ASEAN-India Centre. Prof. Ram Upendra Das, RIS. organised the ASEAN-India Seminar Ambassador V. S. Seshadri, Vice Ambassador V.S. Seshadri, on ‘Joining Global Production Chairman, RIS chaired the seminar. Vice Chairman, RIS chaired Prof. Prema-chandra Athukorala, Networks: India’s Opportunities the panel discussion. Mr. T.C. Australian National University (ANU), and ASEAN-India Cooperation’ James, Consultant, RIS was the in New Delhi on 11 December Canberra made the lead presentation, discussant. 2014. The programme began with which was followed by an open discussion. Workshop on India-China Relations RIS, jointly with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras, organised a Workshop on India- China Relations in Chennai on 17 December 2014. Ms. Sujata Mehta, Secretary (ER & DPA), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India inaugurated the Workshop. Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director IIT-Madras; Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS; and Prof. D. Malathy, Head, Humanities and Social Sciences Department (HSS), IIT-Madras made Welcome Remarks. Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS making Welcome Remarks. Also seen in the picture (from Ms. Sujata Mehta also chaired the left to right): Ms. Sujata Mehta, Secretary (ER & DPA), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India; Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director IIT-Madras; Dr. Balakrishna Pisupati; and Prof. S.K. Mohanty, RIS. session on Trade between India- discussants. The second session China: Issues and Prospects in which